GOI clears funds for development of Ghatak UCAV and AMCA Stealth Fighter

by defenceupdate ·
Published February 5, 2017
· Updated February 10, 2017

As per the defence budget, the finance ministry has cleared Rs 231 crores towards the development towards two very essential projects that could change the face of aviation in India.

Seed funding to commence design Work for Ghatak UCAV and AMCA has been processed and preliminary work will begin soon. A part of the funds will also be used to design and develop critical stealth technologies for the AMCA stealth fighter project.

Both Ghatak UCAV and the AMCA 5th generation stealth fighter are awaiting final clearance from the Prime Ministers Office. Development time for both projects is estimated to be seven years according to government sources.

If the work on Ghatak and AMCA commences in 2017 then both birds can debut in 2025.

The Narendra Modi government is set to give the green light to a Rs 3,000-crore plan to develop Ghatak, a new engine that will power India’s first unmanned combat aircraft, or drones capable of delivering bombs as well as tackling aerial threats, as part of a project that envisages major participation of the private sector.

The drone is being designed to be invisible to radars with its radical ‘flying wing design’.

AMCA

AMCA is a multirole combat aircraft designed for the air superiority, ground attack, bombing, intercepting, Strike and other types of roles. It combines supercruise, stealth, AESA radar, maneuverability, and advanced avionics to overcome and suppress previous generation fighter aircraft along with many ground and maritime defences.AMCA It is a single-seat, twin-engine, stealth supermaneuverable all weather multirole fighter aircraft.

AMCA also comes with self protection jammer system to jam enemy radar guided missiles from both air and ground. electronic counter measure systems to confuse the infrared guided missiles and a radar warning receiver too added to detect enemy radar frequency’s.

AMCA is a twin-engines aircraft which is powered by 2X GTRE k9 + or K 10 engine that can capable of producing 11-Kn-125Kn thrust each.The aircraft has a maximum take off weight is 29 tonnes:2 tonnes of internal weapons and 4 tonnes of internal fuel.It can achieve maximum speed of 2.5+ Mach (2665 + Km/h) at altitude and Mach 1.2 at sea level and have a cruise speed of Mach 1.6 at supercruise.The AMCA would have range of 2800 km and climb at the altitudes @ 13,716m/min.

It’s Reported the AMCA will be ready by early 2020 or before and HAL starts flying the first flight of fully developed AMCA by 2021. with the initial low rate initial production by 2024. And the air force gets the first AMCA squad by 2025. If all things goes per schedule

Ghatak or Aura UCAV

AURA is an autonomous unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV),The ADA describes the AURA as a “self-defending high-speed reconnaissance UAV with weapon firing capability”.The project is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

AURA UCAV is India’s most ambitious unnamed aerial system which will have a blend wing body and will have stealth characters to make it effective Ground Strike platform. AURA weighing 15 tons will be powered by a single Ghatak turbofan engine which will allow the drone to cruise at Mach 1.2 at an altitude of 30,000 ft.

AURA will greatly benefit from India’s 5th generation AMCA project which will be taken up as a parallel project by ADA and will have a developmental stage of 8 years once Project is given a go-ahead.

AURA will be able to detect and identify targets and fire weapons at them and will be controlled with command and control centres spread across the country.The AURA will have short takeoff and landing capability on prepared runway.

Unlike Fighters, UAV need more operators and support crew for Landing assisting flight performance and Navigation, needs large number of crews to operates a Single UCAV. as per DRDO inputs the UCAV can capable to fly at the heights of 30,000 feet and Maximum take off weight estimated 15 tons.